argument

The argument of a function is its input. For example, in the expressionf⁢(x), x is the argument of f.

A common error for those who are unfamiliar with mathematics is to treat a function and its argument as two separate entities. For example, in solving the equation ln⁡x=5 for x, people who are unfamiliar with mathematics may give the erroneous answer x=5ln. This error might be circumvented by stressing that a function and its argument are not multiplied, but rather that a function its argument.

Another common error is to try to separate the argument of a function. This error is most common when the argument consists of at least two . For example, students may write f⁢(x+5)=f⁢(x)+f⁢(5) regardless of what the function f is.